Warrior
by Dr. Dinkleberg
Summary: Private Drew Cooper was just an ordinary marine. That is until General Shepherd plucks her out of infantry training and selects her to be in Task Force 141. There she will learn what it takes to be a true warrior and to be one of the best. Possibly getting her heart stolen along the way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, this is my first fan fiction. The characters might have a bit different personalities and I might go a little off the story line, but writings this is fun, like I don't know why I didn't do this sooner. This story will most likely be rated M, but that is mainly for the language. There is definitely romance in this though, at least I will try. Sorry for any errors or grammar imperfections that will most likely occur. And if you want to review that would be awesome! But, if you have something rude to say have a reason and a way I can help fix it to go along with it. Also, disclaimer, I do not own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or anything in this story, except for my OC. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter One

"Get moving you fucking weaklings!" our drill instructor screamed at us, his voice slightly cracking. It was the middle of July and the sun was bearing down on us as we ran lap after lap on the worn down track. And at a marine infantry training facility, it was absolute hell. My curly auburn hair was flapping against my back after each pounding step. I was using my long legs to carry me faster and faster towards the finish line. Having a height of 5'10 really made my life easier sometimes. A lot was at stake. Whoever finishes in the top five gets to take the rest of the off. Right now, I was in sixth. Evans, the guy in front of me, would not slow down and my muscles were screaming at me to stop and take a breather. As we were nearing the final turn, he suddenly tripped and fell. I was having an inner turmoil wondering if I should help him or not. His scream of pain finally made me turn around and run back to him. I sighed, knowing I just gave up a relaxing day. I slowed down my pace and knelt down to help him get up.

"It's alright Evans, you're fine," speaking calmly, I grabbed one of his arms and pulled it over my shoulder, slowly helping him stand. I walked him over to the nearest bench and had him sit down. The drill instructor was walking towards us.

"What happened, Cooper?" he asked.

"He fell, sir. I think he broke his ankle."

"Alright. Finish the run, I'll take care of Evans," I nodded and begun running again. In less than 20 seconds, I sprinted past the finish line. All I could think about was the nest form of exercise that was coming. I almost wanted to cry, I was so mad. _I could __have__ come in fifth place and gotten the day off, this is fucking bullshit. _Suddenly I heard someone yell my name. I looked around and one of the sergeants was walking towards me. _Great, what did I do now?_

"Cooper, come with me," he said. I followed him into the main building and thought about whatever bad thing I did as we navigated our way through the halls. We ended up outside a meeting room door. He opened the door and saluted the man who was sitting in the furthest chair from the door. The sergeant and I walked in and then he saluted the man and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Sit down, Private," he ordered. Something abut this man radiated authority and I immediately did as I was told, slipping into the closet chair. "I'm General Shepherd. You are Private Drew Cooper, correct?" I nodded and he continued, "I've been watching you for sometime, and long story short, I want you in my task force. Of course you will have to prove yourself, but I know that you will earn your place. It is up to you though. Keep in mind that this is once in a lifetime, I will not be asking again." The shock at what he just said made my jaw drop to the dingy carpet. _Oh my god, he's joking right? Holy shit, what do I do? Task force? Hmm, well if thinks I can do it, then hell yeah!_

"I'll do it sir."

"Good. Now go and pack your things, we leave at 1300." I saluted him and practically ran to where my bunk is located. I had just over an hour, so I quickly grabbed my things and ran to take a quick shower. After that I went back to pack my things and met General Shepherd back at the meeting room with ten minutes to spare. I gave myself a mental high-five as I knocked on the door. A brief 'come in' was all I heard. I opened the door and Shepherd sat exactly were he was when I left.

"You're early, Cooper. Good. We can leave early then," he stood up and motioned for me to follow him. We ended up at the small airbase where a huge cargo plane was waiting for us. I followed him up the ramp and sat down across from him, buckling in when I got seated comfortably. Or as comfortably as I could manage. "Now this is going to be about an eight hour flight, so get comfortable," he said. _Oh my gosh, this is gonna be a long flight. Well, I might as well take a nap. _The last thing I remember, before I fell asleep, was the plane taking off and General Shepherd lighting a cigar.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much Jay2658 for the review. It made my day! I will try and make the chapters longer, but I'm glad you like it. And hopefully, with time, I will get better at writing too. I will try to update as much as I can, but it might take me a while to write longer chapters.**

Chapter Two

My body snapped forward and jolted me awake. The only thing to keep me from falling was the sorry excuse for a seat belt that was currently locked around my waist. I peered around the plane and saw General Shepherd, just sitting there, smoking a cigar. _How the hell is he so calm?_ As if he read my mind, he suddenly spoke up.

"It's just a little turbulence, Cooper. Nothing to shit your pants about." I scoffed. "_Just a little turbulence" my ass. _"Well anyways, now that you are awake, let me tell you more about Task Force 141. As I'm sure you have already figured out, it is an elite group of soldiers that I have selected. These soldiers are the best of the best, and you will be no exception. They do the missions that no one else can. Captain John Mactavish is your boss and you will do everything he tells you. Lieutenant Ghost is second in command, but you will also listen to him. He is also the main trainer, and a tough one at that. Prepare to get your ass kicked. There are also others who you will meet when we get there. However, you are the youngest and the only girl. I have informed Captain Mactavish to make sure you are treated just like everybody else, there will be no excuses just because of your gender. I expect you to work just as hard as everybody else. I don't know if he has told anyone else about you being a girl, but be prepared to be answering a lot of questions anyways. That basically sums it up, though you will learn more when we land." The information that he suddenly dumped on me made my brain go into overdrive. _Only girl? Man, __I__ should__ have __asked what I was getting myself into before I accepted. Oh well, too late now. Maybe I'll get my own room! That would be a miracle. _While I was talking to myself, apparently Shepherd was informed that we would be landing in twenty minutes. "Gather your things, Cooper, we will be landing soon." I slowly nodded and pulled all my things together.

All too soon the pilot was bringing the plane down to land. I didn't know what would be waiting for me on the outside, but from the small windows, I could tell that it was definitely morning. The sun was shining brighter than back at the training facility. I inwardly groaned. _Did the military only choose places that are extremely hot or extremely cold? I mean holy shit. _The plane ramp slowly descended and allowed me to take in what was now going to be my new home. The first word that came to my mind was sand. Everywhere. Literally. I thought we had landed in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The extreme heat blasted us as we began to walk off the plane and I could feel myself already beginning to sweat like a pig. _Oh my sweet lord, I am not looking forward to training in this heat. __T__he way I will leave this earth will __definitely__ be heatstroke. _We stepped off the plane and I began to look around. There was a huge main building to the left which was probably where the sleeping quarters were. There was also a decent sized building right next to it with a red cross on it. _Definitely the hospital __or some type of medical building. I __think__. _There was a basketball court to the right and a track behind it. A building that looked like a warehouse was placed at the back of the base with a firing range next to it. _It's not much, but I kinda like __it,_I decided. My thoughts were interrupted when someone started speaking to General Shepherd.

"General Shepherd," the guy said. I snapped my eyes to look at him. _Whoa, he's got a Scottish accent. That is seriously cool. _I took in his appearance, which consisted of a Mohawk that I know not many people could pull off, tanned, battle-hardened skin, serious biceps, and blue eyes with a scar going vertically down his left one. _Damn, he looks tough._

"Ah, Captain Mactavish, just who I was looking for. This is the new recruit I told you about." _No way! This is Captain Mactavish? _Said man turned towards me and looked at me up and down.

"Private Drew Cooper, correct?" he held out his hand out towards me and I firmly grasped it.

"Yes, sir. That would be me," I said as I gave him a small smile.

"Welcome. I'm Captain John Mactavish. I will be your little tour guide around this base. Follow me," he turned around and began to walk towards the main building. I bent down to pick up the stuff I had set on the ground and began to follow after him. That is until General Shepherd stopped me.

"Don't let me down, Private," he said as he shook my hand. I nodded and turned towards the direction Mactavish was walking. For a second, I lost sight of him, then I saw him leaning against the porch of the main building and sped up my pace so I wouldn't keep him waiting. I caught up to him and we began to walk through the halls of the building.

"Alright, so this is where the sleeping quarters, rec room, kitchen, and bathrooms are located. My office and the meeting room are also in this building. The showers have no individual stalls so you are gonna have to be careful when you go to take one. Mainly everybody showers around eight or so at night, so if you go in early you should be fine. Let's go set your stuff down in your room then I will show you the rest of the base." We walked down a hallway until we came upon a dark brown door. There was nothing on it except for a name. _Ghost? Not Lieutenant Ghost, right? _Soap paused right before he opened the door. "Oh, I forgot to mention. You will be bunking with Lieutenant Ghost until we can find you a room. It was all we could do on such short notice." He opened the door and walked into the room. I stepped in and stared at the room. There were two bunk beds, one on the left near the window, and the other on the right, pushed against the wall. The walls themselves were a brownish color and the bunk beds had a green tint to them. There were also two desks, one on each side of the room. One of them was completely cluttered with papers. The lower bed on the right was already taken so I walked over to the bunk bed near the window and chose the top bunk. I felt like a little kid jumping up unto the top. It was a pretty decent bed. _Not exactly the five star resort that I wanted but whatever. _Mactavish let out a little chuckle as I jumped up on the bed. "How old are you again?" he asked.

"18, sir."

"Really? Geez, you're just a kid," he said as he shook his head slowly. I didn't know rather to be offended or not when he said 'kid'. I just shrugged my shoulders in a way that said 'yup'. "What made you join the marines?"

"I don't really know, sir. I just felt like I needed to. Something drew me to it."

"Well, Drew, I think you will fit in here just fine. Let me show you the rest of the base." I hopped off the bed and shut the door behind us as we walked out. We made our way out of the building and towards the warehouse. "As you can obviously see, we have a basketball court and a track. You can use both at anytime, though Ghost's training will most likely make you too tired to do anything else." As we got closer to the warehouse, he pointed out the firing range, which I can also use at anytime, but to make sure I clean and put the weapons I use away. He opened up the door to the humongous garage-like building and held the door open to me. Inside was a bunch of punching pads lined up against one side of the wall with various exercise machines near them. _I guess I will just call this place the gym. _There were also some vehicles on the far right side of the gym in the designated garage area. "Alright that about wraps it up. Oh, we also have an area called The Pit where we test your abilities, but you won't be doing that until tomorrow so make sure to get plenty of rest tonight. We also have nightly patrols. Everybody has to do them, however we take turns so you won't be doing them right away. Just a warning, they are mainly solo patrols. Not much happens out here anyways. They are about four hours long, or until someone relieves you. Now, let's go back to the rec room so you can meet everybody."

Outside the rec room doors, I could hear the commotion coming from the room. Mactavish looked at me and grimaced. He slowly opened the doors so we wouldn't disturb whatever was going on. There was a group of men surrounding the TV. I could hear the sound of cars coming from it and tried to think of what they were doing. Mactavish and I walked closer and no one noticed us, they were too focused on whatever game they were playing. We got close enough that I could see two guys who were holding Xbox 360 controllers. One had sandy brown hair and the other had dark, almost black, hair. I looked at the screen and saw that they were playing Forza Horizon. _At least they have excellent choice in games. _I guess it was a race between the two guys, at least that is what I gathered.

"Come on Roach! You better win. I bet ten bucks on this and I don't feel like losing it," some dude said.

"Oh what?! Royce why didn't you bet on me?" the dark haired guy on the couch whined while he was trying to get past Roach's car.

"Because I didn't expect you to actually have a chance at winning, Meat," the man named Royce replied. Mactavish and I just looked at each other and shook our heads. _Men._ I rolled my eyes and turned back to the screen. Right as I did, Roach jumped up and started dancing.

"Yeah! Suck it, Meat!" Roach yelled. _I take it he won than. _Mactavish suddenly coughed and everyone went silent. Then they turned towards where the captain and I were standing. Roach, Meat, and Royce, along with the others, looked like fish out of water. Their jaws dropped as soon as they saw me standing next to the captain.

"Whoa, Mactavish, she looks a little too young to be your girlfriend," one of the men said, breaking the silence.

Mactavish sighed, "No, Ozone, she is not my girlfriend. Bloody asshole." I couldn't stop myself from letting out a small giggle. "This is Private Drew Cooper, the new recruit."

"But she's a girl," Ozone, once again, spoke up.

"Nothing gets past you, eh?" the sarcasm spilled from my mouth before I could stop it. Meat and Roach started laughing and pushed Ozone around some.

"Feisty? I like that," Meat said as he checked me out. Needless to say, I was a bit uncomfortable. Apparently, some guy in a skull balaclava noticed and pushed his way towards the front to stand on the other side of Mactavish.

The mystery guy said, "Alright, gentlemen, that is enough. Go back to what you were doing."

"Ah, but I wanted to get to know her," Meat slyly smiled.

"Just go back to losing, Meat. Unless you feel like running a few laps?"

"No, sir." With that, Meat shut up and went back to playing the game, with Royce being his opponent. Then the skull guy turned towards me and looked me up and down. _God, does he do that with every new recruit?_

"Cooper, this is Lieutenant Ghost," Mactavish piped up. _Oh, so this is Ghost. Why the mask though? Not really ghost-like. Whatever though, to each their own. _I looked at him and all I could see was the balaclava and his red-tinted sunglasses. I could barely make out his eyes behind them, but I guess that was the point. Another guy walked up to us as I was studying Ghost. I turned to him and found that it was Roach.

"Hi, name's Gary Sanderson, but people just call me Roach." I shook his hand and smiled at him. _Another American_, _hell yeah._ He seemed nice and friendly too. He looked almost as young as me with his messy hair and young looking face. His deep brown eyes gave off a sense of warmth and I instantly wanted to be his friend. Which is saying something since I'm not too friendly of a person. Sometimes. "Oh, the other guys are Scarecrow, Chemo, Archer, and Toad. Archer and Toad aren't here, but you'll meet them sooner or later." I nodded and turned towards the captain.

"Sir?"

"Just call me Mactacvish, or captain."

"OK, Mactavish. Um, could I go back to my room? I wanna take a shower. If I'm not needed, that is," I quietly asked.

"Of course, lass. Go on. If you need anything, I will be in my office. You could also ask Ghost or Roach."

"Thank you, si-err Mactavish." With that I walked out of the room and headed back to my temporary room. I could have sworn I felt eyes watching me. Ignoring it, I continued and finally made it back to the room. After gathering my things, I headed off to the showers. When I made it there, I opened the door and, sure enough, there were no stalls. There was also no lock on the doors. _Seriously? Oh come on, even guys need their privacy. _Rolling my eyes and dragging my feet, I made it over to the locker area. I stored my fresh clothes in one of them and then I quickly got undressed, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. I wrapped a towel around myself and walked over to the shower in the far back of the room. After I set down my shampoo and conditioner bottles, I turned on the shower and let the wonderfully warm water glide down unto me. _Sweet Jesus, this is heaven. _I then went through the motions of washing and rinsing at a rapid pace, all the while listening for any noise. Satisfied that I was clean enough, I shut off the water and wrapped the towel around me again. Then I walked over to the locker and began to get dressed. Just as I threw my top on over my head, the door burst open and what looked like twenty men came bursting into the shower room. I quickly grabbed my stuff and ran out the door before anyone could see me. Slowly, I walked back to my room and opened the door.I froze when I saw a body sitting in the desk chair to the right. _Nevermind, it's just Ghost. _I forgot I shared a room. He didn't even look to see who it was, though I was too exhausted to care. Walking over to my bed, I briefly saw him look at me, then turn his attention back to whatever he was working on. Then I jumped up on my bed, pulled the covers over me, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Beeping. _An alarm? I don't remember setting one. _I sat up in bed and looked towards the window. It was still pitch black outside. I could see the faint glow of stars through the blinds. _Holy shit it must be early. _I angrily ripped the covers off of me and swung my legs over the bed. _I am so not a morning person._ I jumped off the bed, landing with the silence of a ninja.

Sitting on floor besides Ghost's bunk, I saw the red glow of the numbers. _Five in the fucking morning. You have got to be shitting me. _Ghost didn't look like he was going to shut it off anytime soon, so I slowly dragged my feet over to it so I wouldn't wake him. _Although if the freaking alarm couldn't wake him up, I doubt I could_. I finally ended the infernal beeping and gave a sigh of relief.

As I was moving to stand back up, I saw eyes staring at me. I froze in place. I didn't know if he was angry or not since he still had the mask on. The outline of the skull almost giving me a heart attack. "What are you doing?" Ghost's sleepy British accent filled the silence. I felt like I had just awoken the dragon. I gulped nervously and started inching my way back to my side of the room.

"Um, n-nothing, sir," I stuttered as I finally felt the bed hit the back of my legs.

"Bullshit. It was a rhetorical question. I was just about to turn it off, by the way." I watched as he pulled the covers off of him and stood up. _Thank God he is dressed. _He gave me one last look before he began to walk towards the door. I was just about to jump back up when blinding white light suddenly flared into my eyes.

I let out a startled whimper. Quickly bringing my hands to my eyes to cover them. I finally got used to the light and turned around and fixed a glare in his direction. I could feel his amusement as he was staring at me, his eyes crinkled at the corners a little to give away the smile underneath his mask. "That was not funny you know," I snapped. He let out a deep chuckle. The sound quickly erasing my anger. _Holy crap, I don't think I've ever heard such a sexy laugh. Not even a laugh, just a chuckle!_

Luckily, I was still glaring at him and didn't give away my inner thoughts. His chuckle slowly faded away and, like he flipped a switch, looked at me seriously. Or at least I think it was seriously. He looked back towards the alarm clock and I followed his gaze. It read 5:08 am. He turned back to me and looked me over, taking in my bedhead and sleepy appearance. "Training starts in twenty-two minutes." My jaw dropped as he opened the door and walked out the room. I almost cried. _I just want to go back to bed._

I slowly closed the door and got dressed. I gave one last look at my bed before I shut off the light and closed the door. I smelled coffee and followed my nose to the source. _If I'm going to be training this early, I'm gonna need some goddamn coffee. _I walked towards the kitchen, my brain still foggy from sleep. The rich smell of coffee getting stronger every step of the way. I didn't hear much activity. _I bet the others are sleeping because they don't have a moron who doesn't turn his own fucking alarm off._

I rounded the corner to the kitchen and saw only two guys seated at the large island in the middle of the kitchen. I didn't give any thought to who they were as I made my way, zombie-like, towards the coffee pot. I groaned right before I poured myself a steaming cup of joe. The aroma already working its magic. I heard a deep chuckle behind me and soon another one joined in. I slowly turned around while I was taking a sip and saw that Ghost and Mactavish were softly laughing at me.

"Not much of a morning person, are you lass?" Soap smiled as he took a drink of his own coffee. I sheepishly looked down at the cup in my hands and shook my head, too tired to say anything. I brought the cups to my lips and let the hot liquid burn its way down my throat.

"Ay, it's probably my fault," Ghost said. _Probably? It most certainly is. _"My alarm went off and woke her up. But before I could turn it off, she did. Didn't even hear her jump off her bed." I smiled behind my glass at the small compliment. Was it a compliment? _Oh well, I take it as one. _I finished my cup of coffee right as Mactavish and Ghost finished theirs. I placed my cup in the dishwasher and went to grab theirs, force of habit from my parents making me do all these years, when Mactavish waved his hands at me.

"We got it, lass. We'll walk you out to the training grounds." Mactavish placed both mugs in the sink and then began to walk out of the room. I was still half asleep and took a minute to respond, but a push on my back made me stumble forward.

Ghost stared at me. "Well the captain's not going to wait all day. Get moving." I quickly nodded my head and practically raced out of the room. A deep chuckle the last thing I heard before I caught up with the captain. Ghost soon fell into step beside us as we three made our way out towards the track. It was silent, not awkward, just comfortable silence. My hands were clasped behind my back as I walked in between the two men. My eyes darting around, looking at everything I could see. Though there wasn't much to see anyways. I finally ended up looking at the still clear dark, early morning sky. The stars were twinkling, some brighter than others. I tried to find any of the constellations I knew.

I didn't get to far though, as I suddenly smacked into the captain's back. Apparently I had slowed down a little and wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. He quickly turned around and steadied me with a hand on each of my shoulders. "You alright there, lass?" Mactavish questioned with a tint of worry in his eye.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, not understanding why he was worried. _I hit his back for Pete's sake, it's not like I crashed into a brick wall or anything. Even though his back feels like one. Geez, he is packing some serious muscle. _Before he could say anything else, all the other men started running towards the track, not wanting to piss off Ghost by being late. Ghost watched them all run by and I could have sworn I saw his eyes roll behind his glasses.

I went to go join the others when I suddenly got bulldozed into the ground. I wasn't prepared for it as I went careening through the air, landing on the ground and rolling for a few inches. I groaned as I slowly sat up. "What the actual fuck just happened?" I spat, turning around and glaring at whoever ran me over. Roach was standing there, one hand rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. He then snapped out of it and jogged over to me.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Cooper. I-I didn't see you until it was too late and I...just...," Roach's voice slowly faded away as he helped me off the ground. I knew I couldn't stay mad at him, so I just smiled brightly at him.

"It's totally fine, Roach. It's not like I'm a doll. You can't break this," I grinned as I flexed my muscles at him like a body builder. He let out a loud laugh, the laugh sounding like pure sunshine, instantly brightening my day. I soon joined in. How could you not? His laugh just made you be gleeful with him. I slowly looked up and saw that Mactavish was practically beaming. Ghost, I couldn't really tell, but I thought I saw his eyes crinkle at the corners before he suddenly pointed towards the track. I nodded and bumped Roach with my hip, walking with him towards the others. Everybody was lined up in rows and Roach and I slid into position up in front.

We all stood with our backs straight while Ghost sauntered over to us. "Alright, listen up you maggots," shouting, he slowly started pacing to and fro. "Since we have a newbie, I decided to go easy on you today." His mask tilted up in what appeared to be a smile. A couple of the guys breathed a sigh of relief and some of them bumped each other with their elbows. I rolled my eyes. _Oh this is a load of complete bull._ There was no way Ghost wasn't going to work our asses into the ground just because I was new. "Instead, I want you to run fifteen laps around the track. And that's just just for warm-up, gentlemen." _Called it! _All the men moaned and slowly dragged their feet towards the track. "You better fucking move or else it'll be twenty-five laps!" Ghost suddenly shouted, kicking us all into action.

Roach and I were running side by side by the time we got to the tenth lap. We were both panting like hot dogs but Ghost wouldn't let us stop or else we had to begin again. Almost an hour later, Roach and I finally passed the finish line. We leaned against each other, supporting ourselves so we wouldn't fall over. We were gasping for breath like fish out of water. The sun had finally decided to show itself during the run, making it more hellish than I thought possible. More people passed the finish line as Roach and I just stood there, catching our breath. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ghost stalking towards us. Behind his red-tinted glasses I thought I saw a flash of jealousy. I quickly knew I must be wrong. _It must be because I'm dying. I never got to tell my family I loved them before I left. Sweet __baby Jesus__, this sucks. _

"Roach! Cooper! Stop standing there like wimps and start doing push ups!" he yelled as he came and stood over us. Glaring at us as we quickly pumped out at least fifty push ups. We were still doing them by the time everybody else had come over to join us. My arms felt like jelly and I knew that any second now, I would collapse into a puddle. I felt Ghost's eyes on me as I began to falter. As if a miracle just happened, he suddenly made us flip over on our backs and do sit ups.

Sweat was pouring down my face. Droplets of it flowing off my chin onto my shirt and stinging my eyes whenever it dripped off my eyelashes. I could feel the sweat collecting in my sports bra and grumbled to myself about how guys don't have to deal with boob sweat. After about another four minutes of sit ups, he ordered us to stop. "Go get some water. You got a five minute break," he told us and almost everybody sprang up and ran to go get some water. Not me. I laid there, my abs burning and making it near impossible to stand. My eyes were closed as I laid on the hot sand, gritting my teeth as I tried to catch my breath. A shadow blocked out the sun and I heard a long sigh.

Cracking one eye open, my hazel eyes peered up into red-tinted glasses. Ghost just looked down at me and shook his head once. Then he held out his hand to help me up. I gladly took it, but I wasn't prepared for the power he would use to pull me up. My feet didn't touch the ground for a couple of seconds. When I landed, my legs felts like there was no muscle in them at all and I almost fell back down. Ghost, sensing that I was about to fall, wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me steady. I gave him a small smile in thanks. He simply nodded his head in return and gazed down at me.

I realized he still had his arm around my waist, so I tapped his shoulder twice. "I think I'm good now," I panted. My chest heaving with each breath I took. He seemed to snap out of it and let me go. I gave him one last smile before I made my way over to where Roach was standing with a water bottle for me. _What was that about? He probably has never seen anyone as weak as me _I said to myself sarcastically. I snatched the water bottle from Roach and took small gulps of the refreshing liquid.

I swear my body couldn't handle anymore. _I'm part of the Task Force 141, I can do this. Piece of cake._ After five minutes, Ghost suddenly shouted, "Everybody head over to the Pit!" _Fuuuuuccckkk._ I followed Roach as some of us walked down the steep steps that led to the start of the Pit, while others stood waiting at the top. I was sixth in line. I also had no idea what I was supposed to do when I entered the Pit so I figured I would just wing it.

From up in the observation booth, Ghost and Mactavish stared down at us. "Alright. Lets see how good you lads are. The fastest time was set by Ghost at 31.7 seconds. If anyone can beat that, and I highly doubt that you will, you will get nothing except bragging rights," Mactavish informed us. I looked at Roach and he gave me a wink. He was second in line. "First person's up."

The first person was Meat. He came out of the Pit shaking his head in disappointment. "52.6," Ghost shouted. _Holy crap, if Meat can't __even get close__ how am I supposed too. _Next was Roach. I held my breath until I saw him come running out of the Pit, panting. "40 seconds flat. Nicely done, Roach." My jaw dropped. _Damn, he's good._ I wasn't paying attention until Ghost's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Your turn, Cooper." I jumped into action and grabbed the ACR Holographic and Desert Eagle Roach was holding out for me.

Putting the Desert Eagle into the holster Roach helped strap around my hips, I walked over to the starting line. "Wait, Cooper! Take this!" Roach tripped as he ran over to me. I took the sharp knife and slid it into its own separate compartment. I swung my arms and jogged in place to warm up my muscles again.

"OK, Cooper. All you have to do is shoot the targets that pop up. Don't shoot the civilian targets. Haul ass and remember, switching to your sidearm is always faster than reloading," Mactavish said. I gave him a thumbs up, signaling that I heard. The buzzer sounded and I took off. I stopped thinking and let my marine training kick in, shooting down the targets systematically while sprinting, careful to avoid the wrong targets. I cleared the first part in a matter of seconds and started reloading while running towards the stairs. My adrenaline was pumping through me at such a rapid pace that when a target suddenly popped out at the top of the stairs, I had knifed it before I even registered what I was doing. A millisecond after I had knifed it, a voice shouted, "Use your knife!" I didn't know who had said it though.

I quickly began firing at the next set of targets before jumping down to ground below, rolling to take the pain away from my knees. Running out of bullets in my main weapon, I pulled out my pistol, hitting the last couple of targets right between the eyes. I sprinted to the finish and dropped to my knees. Panting, I waited to hear what my time was. Everyone started to shuffle their feet as they also began to get curious. It seemed like five hours later when Ghost finally announced it. "Well, well, Cooper. 39.1. Good job for your first try." Everyone's' jaw dropped, including mine. I slowly got my feet and went to set the guns back where they belonged. Walking up the stairs, I got a few high fives from the other guys.

I met up with Roach near the observation booth and sat with him on the bench. "Holy shit, Cooper! You're seriously fast," he beamed at me. I smiled back at him and nodded my head slowly.

"I didn't know I had it in me," I replied breathlessly. He simply patted my back and sat back to watch the others. I was beginning to nod off when finally everyone was done. It was lunch time by the time training was over and everyone was ravenous. Like a herd of cattle, we all headed towards the mess hall. I made my way over to the lunch line and slowly moved through it. I piled my plate high with the mac and cheese they had along with four rolls. _You can never have too many rolls._ I turned around and faced the mess hall, looking for a place to sit. I finally saw a lone table near the far left corner of the room, near the windows, and made my way to it.

As soon as I sat down, I dug in. It felt like I hadn't eaten in centuries. I was halfway through my mac and cheese when I heard someone set his plate down on the other side of the table. I swallowed and turned my attention to the newcomer. I met eyes with Captain Mactavish. I almost choked on my food and quickly took a sip of water to help it down. "H-hello, sir. May I help you?" I asked, unsure of what he was doing here.

"No, lass. Just saw you sitting by yourself and thought I would join you." He smiled at me with his striking blue eyes and started eating his food. I beamed back at him and dug into my food for the second time. I heard two more plates clatter on the table. Someone bumped my shoulder and I slid my eyes over to look at him. Roach looked back at me as he shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth. I started giggling when his cheeks looked as puffy as a chipmunk's. I was still giggling when I locked eyes with Ghost, sitting next to Mactavish. His eyes were giving me a look of amusement and my giggles slowly faded away. He then grabbed the bottom of his balaclava and pulled it up just far enough that it rested on the tip of his nose.

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. His strong jawline and light stubble almost made me drool. His skin was slightly pale from the mask and his lips were incredibly soft looking. There was a small scar running diagonally across his mouth. It made me want to trace it lightly with my fingers. _I bet he gets laid like all the time._ I wanted to rip the rest of his mask off, but I quickly snapped out of it and started shoveling food into my mouth before he caught me oogling at him.

I gazed at his lower face one more time. Permanently storing it in my memory. Ghost's eyes met mine and his mouth turned up in a sexy grin. Perfect, shiny white teeth just peeking out of his lips. _Oh my god, I'm blushing. I've got to get out of here. _Finishing the last of my food, I jumped out of my seat and practically sprinted over to the trash can, dumping the used paper plate and cup. I then made my way towards the nearest bathroom.

Bursting open the door, I locked it behind me. I slid down the door and softly banged my head against it. _Shit, he probably thinks I'm some perverted freak. Although maybe I am, his face __is__ just too damn angelic to be real. _Standing up, I went over to the sink and splashed cool water on my face, effectively removing the tomato red blush. Taking a deep breath, I decided I should probably get back to the mess hall._ Just act natural._

A mask of utter neutrality was painted on my face as I made my way over to the table. I made a brief detour to get a glass of apple juice and then continued towards where Mactavish, Ghost, and Roach were still eating. I slowly sat down in my chair and took a long drag of juice. Ghost's eyes raking over my face, most likely noticing my damp hair. I was about to fix him with a glare before Roach elbowed my side. "Where did you go?"

"Oh? Just had to go to the bathroom," I lazy drawled while putting my chin in my hand, leaning on my elbow. Roach gave me this funny look.

"Must've had to go _really_ bad since you ran out of here like your pants were on fire," he slyly replied, his eyes sparkling. I snorted and rolled my eyes. My eyes catching movement before I could say a comeback. I turned my head and saw a tall, lithe blonde man strolling towards our table. His dark brown eyes instantly locking with mine. I had a feeling that shit was about to hit the fan.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So, I was kinda disappointed in the last chapter, but hopefully I can make it up to you guys with this one. I honestly still don't know who she is going to end up with but I have an idea. Oh, and it's mission time! I love Cliffhanger, especially because of the end. This chapter is extremely long, so just a heads up. And thanks to all who are giving this story a chance. I know it's not the best, but thanks anyways. Also, if you have any ideas for this story, feel free to tell me! I'd love to hear:) Anyways, on we go.**

Chapter 4

"What the hell do you want, Allen?" Roach sneered. We all turned to look at Roach with wide eyes. _Roach? Being rude? The thought! _Everything got silent in the mess hall. Apparently everybody heard and wanted to see what was happening. I turned back to see that Allen wasn't looking at me, but at Roach. This "Allen" guy smirked at Roach.

"Oh, nothing. So this is what you've been up to," Allen said coolly. They had a stare down for a couple minutes before Roach suddenly sprang from his chair, making a high-pitched screeching noise that almost made my ears bleed. He walked over to where he and Allen stood face to face. Roach was just a smidge taller and seemed to use that to his advantage. _What the hell is going on?_ Mactavish and I looked at each other and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I thought I told you to leave me _alone_," Roach said in a deadly tone.

"I would've, but I saw you and I just couldn't believe they would actually allow someone as dim as you in," Allen spat. _Oh hell no. He did not just say that!_

"You fuckin-"

"I'm sorry. Are you gonna go cry like the bitch you are?" This time, Allen really did spit in Roach's face. Captain Mactavish snapped his eyes to Allen.

"That's enough, Private Allen," he demanded. But Allen didn't hear him.

"God, how the hell did you get in? Did you suck General Shepherd's dick?" Roach's fists where clenched so hard that his knuckles where the color of fresh snow. _OK, I've had enough of this bitch. _I walked over to Roach's side and pushed him out of the way. I didn't catch the confused look he gave me.

"What the hell is your problem? Did you eat a bowl of bitch flakes this morning?" I growled. Allen just looked at me and then slid his eyes over to where Roach was looking down at the floor.

"Do you need a little girl to defend now?"

"Why don't you shut the hell up!" I yelled. He sneered at me and got closer until we were almost toe to toe. He was a couple inches taller than me, but I refused to back down. I felt the entire mess hall look at us. He glared at me and pulled his arm back. I recognized that he was about to slap me. _The bitch! _I quickly put my arm up to block. He was momentarily stunned and I used that to my advantage. I brought my elbow up and across, catching him in the face. Hard. He bent over in pain and I used that to knee him in the stomach. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his nose and stomach. I then brought my leg up and kicked him with the back of my boot's heel, right on his spine.

He shrieked and finally fell face down onto the floor. My lip curled as I looked down at his quivering form. "Don't ever mess with Roach again. He's a better soldier than you will ever be, piss face," I scoffed. With that I walked over to Roach, grabbed his hand, and dragged him out of the mess hall. I dragged him all the way to a bench that was just outside the front doors. We sat silently for a few minutes.

"Are you okay?" I softly asked.

He looked at me and I could see the pain in his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be alright," he said so lowly I could barely hear him. "T-Thank you for defending me. You didn't have to." I looked over at him and saw he was looking bashfully down at the dirt. The slightest hint of pink on his cheeks. I smiled at him.

"Of course I did! Are you crazy? You're my friend, Roach. I'd do anything for you." He gave me a grateful smile. He then caught me off guard by suddenly squeezing me in a bear hug. I quickly hugged him back just as tight. "Don't believe what he said. You're none of those things. You're a great person and an even better soldier, Roach." He let go of me and grinned.

"I knew it," he chuckled. Then we both started laughing like five-year olds. An impatient cough made us jump in our seats. Mactavish just looked at us, shaking his head with a smirk on his face.

"If you guys could stop acting like bloody children, meet me in the board room," he sniggered as he walked back into the building. Roach and I stood up and began to follow him. Not two minutes later we were standing in the board room, looking at a weird, drawn out map of some sort. "So, Shepherd has given us a mission. Originally it was just supposed to be me and Roach, but I got special permission to take you along, Drew. We are being sent to the Tian Shan Mountain Range in Kazakhstan. Our mission is to retrieve an ACS module from a downed satellite. We must get to it before the Russians get any information off of it. Now, Roach will first go towards the fueling station and plant some explosives. This will serve as 'Plan B' if things go south. Cooper, you will head towards the building where the ACS module is located. Get it and then wait for us to catch up. I will be sniping from a ridge to provide cover for you both. However, since I can't cover you both at the same time, this will be a stealth mission. Which means we will only be using suppressed weapons." Roach and I nodded. "There will be ice climbing, so I hope both of you aren't afraid of heights. The primary LZ is over here," he pointed to the map, "but if it gets compromised we will head towards the secondary LZ, which is over this gap. Hopefully they will have snowmobiles that we can take to get us across. That's about it. It will be bloody freezing so prepare accordingly. We leave at 0500 tomorrow. That's all."

Roach and I began to leave the room before a thought popped into my head. I told Roach to go ahead without me and turned back into the room. "Hey, Mactavish?" I asked, wringing my hands.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me, "Ay, lass?"

"Why did you get permission for me to go?"

He seemed to think for a minute before replying, "Well... I want to see how you handle yourself in real combat. I know you are new, but Roach and I will be there to help you if needed. Remember, we have comms. But, since you are in this task force, I expect you to prove yourself and show us that you truly belong. Understood?" I nodded and twitched my fingers nervously. _No pressure or anything._ He looked at me and gave me a sweet smile, "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. Shepherd wouldn't have chosen you otherwise. Much as I don't trust that bastard, I know he has a good eye for excellent soldiers. Run along, lass. Go get ready." I waved my hand at him and ran towards my room.

Right as I went to burst through the door, someone was coming out. I didn't have time to react before we rammed into each other. _What is __it __with me bumping into EVERYBODY! _I was slammed into the wall across the door, but luckily I only hit my shoulder blades on it. _Ow, crap that hurt. _"Bloody hell, watch where you're going mate," Ghost angrily said as he helped me stand up.

"S-Sorry, Ghost," I apologized, sheepishly pushing past him to get into the room. I vaguely heard him mumble something under his breath as he continued wherever it was he was going. I turned my attention to gathering all my winter things. I pulled out my grayish snow boots that had incredible traction on the soles. Next, I pulled out my self-heating fleece gloves that my mom sent me way back in boot camp. _Thank god. _Since this was a snowy mission, I pulled out my white camouflaged snowpants and folded them next to the other items. Pulling out my thermals, I decided I would change into them after I get everything.

Finally gathering the rest, which included a knitted-looking, light gray hat, two pairs of fleece socks, a white balaclava (_Ghost isn't the only one who has one_), snowboarding goggles that were blacked out so you couldn't see my eyes, a long-sleeved shirt, and my multi-layered coat, I set out towards the warehouse to get my weapons. I made it there in less than five minutes and quickly went to weapons area.

I found a vest with a bunch of pockets for ammo and other things. _Perfect. Now lets see, what do I need. Stealth mission so I won't need grenades or flash-bangs. Hmm... Knife! _I grabbed a sharpened Tactical Knife and put it in a random pocket for now. _Oh! I'm gonna need a holster for my secondary. _Walking around a little, I finally found one that you strap to your thigh. It had an attached smaller holster for a knife. _Score! _I slid the knife into it and went back to looking.

After five minutes of finding the little necessities, I went to find what really mattered; guns. _Suppressed weapons, huh? _I found my way to an ACR that was thankfully suppressed. It also had an attached Red Dot Sight and Heart Beat Sensor. I threw it over my shoulder and walked over to the handguns. I quickly grabbed a silenced USP .45 and put it in the holster. Calling it good for now, I walked over to the weapon lockers that each member had. Finding the one with my name on it, I placed what I had gathered in it, closing and locking it after. I noticed that everyone's locker had a callsign on it except mine. _I guess I'll earn mine soon enough _I shrugged.

Walking back towards the entrance, my eyes caught on a certain nickname. _Soap? Who the heck is Soap? More importantly, what kind of a name is that? _Shaking my head in utter confusion, I walked out of the warehouse and towards the main building, deciding I would take a quick shower then hit the hay. Looking up at the night sky, I once again found myself getting lost in the multitude of stars. I didn't notice that I had stopped walking and stood in the middle of the base. Snapping out of it, I ran the rest of the way towards the building.

"Why are you always looking at the stars, lass?" I peered over at Mactavish as I made my way up the two steps and onto the porch. He was sitting on the bench, smoking a cigarette. I coughed and waved my hand in front of my face because of the smell. Mactavish noticed, took one more long drag, then snuffed it out under his boot.

"Oh, um, well... Ever since I was little I was always interested in Astronomy. My parents got me a telescope for my sixth birthday and I didn't stop looking through it for a very long time. Well, I guess I made exceptions for life's necessities. I was home schooled so I never had to worry about being hindered and my parents let me explore and learn everyday. They wanted what was best for me and did everything they could to feed my curiosity about the world. When I was little, I always dreamed of being an Astronomer. Space is just so cool! I mean, earth is barely even a speck of dust in the universe and yet we used to think it revolved around us. There are somany galaxies that could have planets with life on them!" I said, getting excited after every word.

"Alright, lass, take a breather," Mactavish smiled kindly at me.

"Sorry."

"It's alright. If you were so interested in becoming an Astronomer, what made you join the military?"

I gazed up at the stars and thought for a moment. "Well, I'm still asking myself that. I don't know. I just... I just felt like I was needed. I wanted to protect my country, or at least the ideals America used to stand for."

He nodded his approval. "Ay, that's what a lot of us joined up for. Our own countries and such. You'll find the answer someday, though. I wasn't expecting it, but you are bloody brilliant aren't you?"

I laughed, "To some people maybe, yes. But I don't consider myself smart. Maybe if I was Einstein or something."

"Don't sell yourself short, lass. Just shows how smart you really are. I'm going to head in for the night, I suggest you do too." I nodded and walked towards the door. He quickly pushed me behind him and opened the door for me. _Wow, such a gentleman. _I smiled and said thank you before we split for our own rooms. _Well with that conversation, I don't have time to take a shower. Oh well, not like I care anyways. Rather get some sleep than smell nice. _

Walking into my room, I looked around and saw that Ghost wasn't at his desk or in his bunk. I shrugged my shoulders and locked the door. Quickly changing into my thermals, I unlocked the door and set my alarm for 0430. I turned off the light and jumped into my bed. I quickly went over a mental checklist. Satisfied I had everything, I shut my eyes and went to sleep.

The next thing I know, my alarm is blaring. I sprang up in bed and jumped down. I groggily made my way over to my desk and slammed on the off button. The alarm ceased its noise. I heard a knocking on the door and went to answer it. Mactavish stood there, already dressed and ready to go, "We leave in thirty, get ready." I sleepily rubbed my eyes as I nodded. I turned back into the room and went over to my things. I slowly pulled my whole outfit on. I shoved my gloves, hat, and balaclava into my pant pocket and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind me.

I made my way towards the warehouse. Opening up the door, I quickly walked over to my locker. I pulled the vest over my head, unable to work on the straps at the moment. I then pulled out my pistol holster and tightly strapped it onto my thigh, yanking on the strap to make it tighter and jumping up and down to make sure it doesn't fall off. Grabbing my ACR, I slammed the locker door, putting the lock back on it. I detoured when I suddenly remember Mactavish having ice picks with him.

I browsed the shelves until I found a pair that was right for my weight and height. They came with their own holster that I strapped around my hips. I then proceeded out of the building towards the small air field. There I saw Roach and Mactavish waiting on a ramp of a cargo plane. Jogging up to them, they nodded at me and we all walked unto the plane. Roach helped me with my vest, then I took a seat a little ways away from them both so I could catch some shut eye. The last thing I remember is Roach giving me a wink and a thumbs up.

Hours later, I found myself peering over the edge of a cliff. We were taking a short break after climbing almost all the way up the mountain. I was seated on Roach's left, with the captain on his right. We had to be in single file or else we'd fall off. _Holy shit, g__ood thing I'm not afraid of heights. _Mactavish was smoking and Roach and I were spitting off the edge, trying to see how far down it goes. Although, it's kind of hard to see spit since it blends in with the ice and snow. All of a sudden, I felt this shaking. Not a second later, a plane flew overhead. Mactavish looked at both of us and said, "Break's over, lads. Lets go."

We inched our way, dreadfully slow, across the narrow walkway. "Stay here and spot me. Wait for my go," Mactavish said as he pulled out his ice picks. He got a good grip on his right one than used it to swing until he plunged his left one into the ice. "Alright, the ice is good. Follow me." He then began to make his way up the steep face. Roach and I looked at each other and nodded. He repeated the same movements as Mactavish and got on his way.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my ice picks and followed the men up the mountain. As we were climbing, another plane flew right over us, causing a mini avalanche. I peered up and saw Mactavish trying to get a hold on his ice pick again. Finally grabbing it, he boosted himself up and over the ledge. Roach and I steadily climbed the rest of the way.

I pulled myself over and had a slight burning sensation in both of my arms. I bent over and took a couple of quick breaths. _I have a new respect for ice climbers. _Mactavish walked over to the edge and looked at the area where we had to jump to. He walked back over to us and gave us a grin. "Good luck, mates. I'll see you on the far side." The captain sprinted and leaped through the air, perfectly landing on the cliff and plunging his picks into the ice.

Roach was next. He backed up all the way and got a running start. It looked like he was gonna land but he kept sliding down, not getting a grip. "Hold on! Don't let go!" shouted Mactavish.

"Roach!" I screamed. I quickly took off and jumped, landing right as Roach lost hold of his pick. Sticking one of my picks into the ice, I simultaneously grabbed onto to Roach's arm. "Ugh," grunting with exertion, I could feel my grip slipping on my pick. I heard Mactavish sliding down towards us. Breathing heavily, I looked at him then slid my eyes to Roach's arm I was barely hanging onto.

"Roach, I need you to swing me your other arm." Roach did as he was told and quickly used his momentum to grab onto Mactavish's outstretched hand. Using all our strength, Mactavish and I swung Roach up between us. Mactavish then put his hand on my butt and gave me a boost to follow Roach up the cliff. I got to the top and Roach helped pull me up the rest of the way.

After Mactavish got to the top, we took out our weapons. Making sure everything was locked and loaded, we hauled ourselves over two small ledges, then took a rest at the top. "Roach, Cooper, check your heartbeat sensor." Pushing a button, my sensor snapped out. "You should be able to see me on the scope. That blue dot is me. Any unrecognized contacts will show up as white dots." Crouching down, we took off.

As we turned a corner, my heartbeat sensor started to go off. I hung back and let the boys go ahead. "Roach, these muppets have no idea we're here. Let's take this nice and slow. You take the one on the left. On three. One...Two...Three." Their precision was amazing. One shot each and the two tangos went down in a splatter of blood. "Nicely done."

We tip-toed past the dead bodies until we hit another bump in the road. There were only two tangos again. "Same plan. But this time, Cooper, you take the one on the left. On three. One...Two...Three." On three I quickly aimed down my sights and shot the guy in the head. "Nice work. The storm's brewing up." The rattle of the gates matched with the wind that was blowing snow in our faces. The lights of the Russian compound came into view. _Alright. Let's do this. _

"Let's split up. I'll use the thermal scope and provide overwatch from this ridge. Use the cover of the storm to enter the base. You'll be ghosts in this blizzard, so the guards won't see you until you're very close. Keep an eye on your heartbeat sensor, good luck." We gave him a thumbs up and made our way towards the entrance of the compound.

Our heartbeat sensors went off and we saw about six tangos. We hid behind a jeep. "He's mine," we heard a second before one of the tangos was shot down. We crept around the side of the jeep until Roach stopped me abruptly. "I'll take this one." Once again, Mactavish sniped the tango. "Alright, I've tapped into their comms. Roach, head southeast and plant your C4 at the fueling station. We may need to go to 'Plan B' if things go south." Roach patted my back and then made his way towards his target.

I started towards the building with the ACS module. Making my way slowly past buildings, I then had to duck behind a crate as an enemy patrol came around the corner. I didn't want to kill anyone, as that would alert them to our presence. I was about to move until Mactavish spoke over the comms. "There's a truck coming! Stay out of sight." I sucked in a breath and shrunk down as far as I could. I heard the truck before I saw pass by.

Finally making my way to the correct building, I cracked open the back door. _I can't believe I actually managed not to kill anyone. Go me! Self-five! _I closed the door behind me, but left it unlocked for the other two. "Cooper, Roach and I are on our way. Grab the module and then hide."

"Roger that." I crept ever so slowly forward and saw an opening to the right. I was just about to walk through it when I heard a battlecry come from the doorway. Not fast enough, I was brutally slammed into the lockers and put into a choke hold. I tucked my chin to one side of my shoulder and elbowed him in his stomach. He loosened his grip and allowed me to step back and to the side, getting out of the hold. I soccer kicked him in the groin, which made him fall to the ground. Not giving him a second chance, I grabbed his chin and the top of his head in one fluid motion.

Snapping his neck, I felt the adrenaline slowly leaving me. Blood was oozing from my nose and I could feel my neck starting to bruise. Licking my chapped lips, I felt a sting and figured that I had one nasty split lip. _Fucker, you ruined one of my favorite masks. _I checked his pulse to make sure he didn't cause trouble for Mactavish and Roach. I then continued on my way, walking into what looked like a massive hanger. The downed satellite was sitting in the middle of the room. Taking the stairs, I crept the rest of the way to the module.

Snatching up the ACS module, I promptly shoved it into one of my pockets. "Mactavish, I have the module. I'll be waiting at the top of the stairs," I said into the comms.

"Roger. We just got to the building. Thanks for leaving the door unlocked. Nicely done." I smiled at the praise. Walking to the edge of the banister I saw Roach and Mactavish casually come into the room. Mactavish went to inspect the satellite while Roach took the stairs two at a time and stood by my side.

"We saw the dead body. You okay?" he whispered in a worried tone. His eyes raked over my mask and widened at the blood stains on it.

"I'm fine, Roach. Don't worry," I smiled through my mask at him and squeezed his shoulder. Out of nowhere, we heard the screech of the hanger door opening. Roach and I dove behind a pile of boxes. There was a slit that I peered through to see what was going on. Numerous tangos were waving their guns at Mactavish, his hands flew up over his hand.

"Cooper, Roach, I've been compromised! Keep a low profile and hold your fire," Mactavish voice barely came through the comms.

"This is Major Patrov! Come out with your hands up! To enemy infiltrators, we have captured one of your comrades. You have five seconds to comply!"

"Roach, go to 'Plan B'."

"Five...Four...Three...Tw-," Roach pulled the plug. The fueling station suddenly roared and blew flames everywhere like a volcano. Pulling out our weapons, we took care of the tangos closest to us.

"Stay close and hug the wall! We'll use the MiGs for cover and cross the tarmac to the southeast!" Roach and I ran down the steps to where Mactavish was laying down covering fire behind a wall. The three of us then sprinted towards the tarmac. "Follow me! Let's go!" We ducked behind cover. "Roach, head for the MiG, we'll cover you!" Mactavish and I spewed bullets into the enemies trying to shoot Roach.

Right as Roach went to the MiG, it blew up. He was blown backwards a few feet, but otherwise he was fine. We started running when snowmobiles decided to join the party. "Snowmobiles! Take them out!" Mactavish yelled. "To the east, lads! Go!" _Fuck it! _I took off closely behind Mactavish. "Cover me, I'm making a break for it!"

Running across the road, I found the gap in the fence that lead down a snowy hill. My feet were flying, making me go careening down the hill. Roach and Mactavish quickly caught up with me. We turned back around and took out the enemies at the top of the hill. I heard the sound of snowmobiles and turned to the right just in time to shoot the driver and his buddy.

Mactavish took out the other one. "Roach, Cooper, take that snowmobile! Let's get the hell out of here!" I hopped on the front of one while Roach took a seat behind me. He wrapped one arm tightly around my torso while the other one pulled out his sidearm. "Kilo Six-One, the primary exfil is compromised! We're en route to the backup LZ using enemy transport! Meet us there! Over!"

"Bravo Six, this is Kilo Six-One, roger that, out."

I punched the throttle and tore through the snow. Mactavish right behind us. "More tangos to the rear! Just outrun them! Go! Go!" I weaved through the trees while Roach was firing away. Going off a ramp, time seemed to slow for a second before we slammed back down on the ground. "Come on! Come on!" We ended up driving over a frozen lake. An enemy helicopter firing at us. _Not good. Not good. Get out of the open! _

"Bravo Six, we're getting close to bingo fuel. What's your status, over?"

"Kilo Six-One, we're taking heavy fire but we're almost there! Standby!"

Driving down an incredibly steep slope, Mactavish and I had to weave through trees. Fast. Our acceleration was getting faster and faster, adrenaline pounding through my body. "Pin the throttle! Keep going!" Roach put his gun away and wrapped both arms around my waist, his cheek resting on my back. We got to the bottom and became weightless. We flew off the cliff.

"Woohoo! Yeah!" I belted out. Our snowmobiles crashed down on the other side.

"There's the chopper! Let's go!" Mactavish yelled as we drove the rest of the way up the small hill.

"Bravo Six, we have you on visual. Get your ass on board! We're running on fumes here!"

"Okay, they got the ACS. We're outta here!" We climbed off the snowmobiles and ran onto the plane. I collapsed in a seat and strapped in. Roach sat on my left and Mactavish sat on my right. I felt the plane lift off and begin the journey back towards base.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and ideas! I appreciate the help. I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update. School is..well you know, but hopefully this chapter isn't too bad. These also may come out a little slower because I'm trying to become a better writer to make this story more enjoyable for you lovely people:) Thanks for giving this a chance. And please keep the reviews coming.**

Chapter 5

"Drew...Drew. Lass, get up you bloody yank!," MacTavish shouted as he shook me awake. I blinked my eyes open and found his face directly in front of mine, his icy blue eyes piercing my hazel eyes. He smiled down at me and pulled me up. "There you go lass, time to get off this metal bird." We gathered our things and headed towards the main building. The sky was pitch black and all was quiet, except for the noise coming from inside the mess hall.

MacTavish stopped me as soon as we got to the porch. "I forgot to tell you, lass. I finally cleared it with General Shepherd for you to have your own room. Stubborn bastard. Your room is now across the hall from mine and has its own shower. So go wash up and then come see me in my office." He opened the door for me and pushed me inside. The blood on my face was so dry now that it was flaking off. _Ugh, I must look like such a mess. But at least MacTavish is a gentleman and doesn't mention it. _

Finding my new room, I dumped my gear near the door and took the fastest shower in the history of mankind. I put a butterfly bandage on the cut above my eyebrow and one on my cheek. There was nothing I could do with my split lip so I just left it alone. I dressed myself in simple gray sweatpants and a light green hoodie. I couldn't find any matching pairs of ankle socks so I just threw on some random ones _because, you know, fuck it. _I left my hair down to air dry, then I made my way to MacTavish's office.

"Come in," came the gruff reply I got after knocking. My feet padded across the room to the chair that was right in front of his desk.

"You wanted to see me?" I said as I pulled my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

"Ay lass. You did very good on the mission. I was impressed, so was Shepherd, which is saying something since it takes a lot for him to be. Anyways, since you are showing promise in the stealth department, Ghost has offered to train you to help boost your skills, that is only if you accept."

"Wow really? That would be amazing! Thank you sir."

"Don't thank me, Cooper, thank Ghost. Are you hungry? Neither of us has had dinner yet."

"Yes, I'm seriously starving." My stomach growled as if I needed proof.

"Alright lass, let's head to the mess hall and see if there is anything left over from dinner."

MacTavish and I stepped into the empty mess hall, save for Ghost and Roach, who was waving us over to the table. "Hey Casper! Get over here, we saved y'all some food," Roach half yelled. MacTavish chuckled beside me as I looked back over my shoulder to see who Roach was talking to. There was no one there but us.

"Roach, who are you talking to?" I asked.

"I'm talking to you, Cooper. More like Casper now though, it's your new nickname after all. Since you were so stealthy last mission, Ghost and I came up with it. We obviously can't call you 'Ghost', so we decided on Casper, you know, from Casper the Friendly Ghost," he said as he and Ghost high-fived like they were the smartest people on Earth.

"Hmm, I guess I could get used to it."

"Oye, you're gonna have to mate," Ghost said as we sat down. He slid a plate piled high with food over to me along with a glass of water. I beamed at him and then dug in. _What a bro. _I was like a vacuum, already halfway through when MacTavish started eating his. A question from earlier reentered my mind as I looked at MacTavish.

"MacTavish?"

"Hmm?"

"Who is Soap?" He starting coughing as he choked on his food. He grabbed my glass of water and took big gulps of it.

"Where did you hear that?" he said between coughs. I looked at him curiously.

"I saw it on one of the lockers in the warehouse."

"Damn it I thought I removed that," he mumbled under his breath. "Well, that would be me." My eyebrows shot up. _Oh there has to be a hilarious story behind that. _I grinned at him.

"And how did you get a name like that?"

"That's a story for another time, lass." I pouted. _Hmm, if he won't tell me it must be good. _I mumbled a "fine" under my breath as I continued to eat my food. "I haven't been called that in a long time. I kinda miss it. Tell you what lass, I'll let you call me it and someday I'll even tell you the story behind it." He winked at me as I smiled.

"Okay than...Soap. I like it, sweet, short, and simple."

"Hey Cap, how come only she gets to call you Soap?" Roach asked.

"Because she asked nicely, bug. Besides, I never said you couldn't. Drew was just the only one that asked."

"Oh okay, Soap," Roach said. I yawned as I got up to put my dishes away. I was thoroughly exhausted and didn't even have enough energy to open the dishwasher.

I sat back down at the table and laid my head in my arms. I was drifting into sleep mode when I felt a rough hand on my shoulder. "Lass, you don't have to wait for us. Go on to bed. And don't forget, we have the day off tomorrow, so you can sleep in," MacTavish said gently.

"Thanks Soap," I sleepily mumbled as I dragged myself out of the chair. I slowly made my way to my room. Closing the door, I practically fell onto my bed and was out like a light.

**MacTavish POV**

My heart was still thumping rapidly as I watched her walk away. Hearing her call me Soap and her adorable sleepy smile was just too much. I didn't think love at first sight was possible, especially here. I was still watching the exit of the mess hall, deep in thought, when I heard Roach say, "She's a cute one, huh?" I snapped my head around and narrowed my eyes at him. "I-I mean she reminds me of my little s-sister," he stuttered out.

"Hmph, she's alright," Ghost said as he nodded in agreement. "Guess we'll find out when I train her in a couple days." _Well I least I don't have to worry about them. _

"Ay lads, I think she's a good fit for the task force."

"That's not the only thing she's a good fit for, eh Cap?" Ghost smirked.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Oh bloody hell Soap, we've seen the way you look at her. You've been happier ever since she got here." The all-knowing look in his eyes told me that there was no getting around this.

"Fine. Yes, I'm attracted to her, what of it?"

"Nothing mate... Just saying that you deserve someone like her." Ghost patted my shoulder as he stood up and left.

"Yeah Soap, you deserve someone who will make you happy," Roach whispered as he also left.

I sat there, mulling over what they just said to me. _They're right of course. But she most likely has a boyfriend back home, or maybe she likes someone else here. I could always just ask her... No that would make me too suspicious, she would find out I like her. Is that such a bad thing though? I really don't want her to hate me. I could get Roach to ask her! _"Bloody hell! What is this? High school?" I sighed as I ran my hands through my mohawk. _Fuck, I need some sleep. _I pushed back on the table and slid from the chair.

I was about to open my door when I looked over my shoulder at Drew's door. I stepped over to it and slowly cracked it open. I could see the shape of a body and hear soft snores coming from the bed. My lips curled upward at how adorable they sounded. I closed the door and went into my room. Laying down on the bed, I looked at the ceiling, letting my thoughts run through my mind before I finally fell asleep.

"_J-John..." Drew moaned, making me pump faster. The way she said my name so seductively made me almost reach my climax. She arched her back, bringing her hips closer to mine, making me go deeper, filling her completely. Her perky breasts bounced up and down as I pumped in and out of her. I looked up at her face and got lost in her half-lidded, lustful eyes. She was absolutely stunning, her body glistened with sweat in the moonlight, curly auburn hair splayed across the pillow. Her head was arched back in pleasure while her long legs wrapped themselves around my waist._

_I released my grip on her hips and grabbed both of her breasts. They formed perfectly in my hands, almost like she was made specifically for me. I bent down and suckled on her nipples, keeping pace. I then moved my mouth to her neck, leaving my mark. She moaned again and dug her nails into my shoulders, making me crash my lips to hers. I bit down on her soft bottom lip, making her gasp and allowing me entrance. We thoroughly explored each others mouth, not wanting this moment to end._

_We broke apart, gasping for breath. "John...I'm gonna...I can't..." she breathed. Her walls completely clamped down as she dug her nails deeper into my shoulders. I gave a couple more deep thrusts before we climaxed together, yelling each others name in pure ecstasy. My seed gushed into her, filling her and making her mine. I collapsed next to her on the bed, pulling her close. She gazed lovingly up into my eyes, resting her head against my chest. "I love you, John." I smiled the biggest smile as I kissed the top of her head._

"_I love you too. Always," I mumbled into her hair as we fell asleep in each others arms._

My eyes snapped open as I sat up in bed. I could feel my erection pushing against my stomach. Sweat covered my body and precum was leaking out of my cock. I sighed, knowing I had to take care of this issue. I jumped out of bed and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower. I pulled off my boxer briefs and let my erection spring free. I stepped into the shower and let the warm water flow over me as I wrapped my hand around my cock and began to pump. Bracing myself against the wall, I pumped faster and faster.

I pictured the dream I just had as relief finally came. Groaning out Drew's name, I released onto the shower walls, riding it out and pumping just a few more times before I was satisfied. I sighed and stood there for a while. _No one has ever made me feel this way. __Bloody hell. _I finished my shower, got dressed, and figured I would go get some coffee. _I'm gonna need more than one cup if I'm gonna make it through today. _I yanked open my door and slid my eyes over to Drew's door before I closed it behind me. A small smile lit my face as I walked towards the kitchen to get about ten cups of sweet coffee.


End file.
